Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on Thursday announced the elevation of the two countries’ relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, the highest level in the Southeast Asian country's international relations, during PM Chinh’s trip to the Oceanian country.

Australia is the seventh country to see its relationship with Vietnam reaching the highest level in the latter’s international relations, following China, Russia, South Korea, India, the United States, and Japan.

After a morning reception on Thursday, PM Chinh and PM Albanese engaged in talks, expressing their contentment with the robust development of the partnership between the two nations.

They agreed to upgrade the two countries’ relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership and cooperate closely to deepen the partnership.

With the ties elevation, the two nations will foster political trust, and collaboration in economy, trade, investment, science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and green transition.

They will also boost cooperation in culture, education and training, environmental protection, climate change adaptation, people-to-people exchanges, security, and national defense.

“"Elevating our ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership today places Australia and Vietnam among each other's significant partners, which reflects our mutual desires for the future,” said the Australian prime minister.

He added that the two countries’ leaders discussed plans to bolster trade and investment connections to support their economic prosperity.

They also reached a consensus on a peacekeeping partnership and elevating the current Vice Ministerial Security Dialogue to the ministerial level.

Vietnamese PM Chinh announced that the two sides reiterated the importance of ensuring peace, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Vietnam Sea, while settling disputes by peaceful means based on international law.

Vietnam and Australia mutually agreed to exchange information, strengthen cooperation, and work toward maintaining the East Vietnam Sea as a region of peace, stability, cooperation, friendship, and comprehensive development.

This collaborative effort is meant to benefit the residents of the parties involved.

Hanoi and Canberra will make conditions favorable for and ensure the legitimate rights and benefits of the other’s residents and enterprises in their land.

Vietnam expresses gratitude to Australia for supporting the Vietnamese community in Australia, which includes 350,000 individuals.

The Vietnamese government leader affirmed that Vietnam always welcomes and facilitates Australian citizens and businesses for studying, doing business, and working in Vietnam.

He expressed his belief that with the relation elevation, the two countries will enter a new chapter with their bilateral relations being more practical, effective, comprehensive, and sustainable in all aspects.

This will meet the demand and ensure practical benefits of the two peoples and significantly contribute to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world as a whole, the Vietnamese prime minister noted.

Regarding regional and international issues, the two leaders agreed to continue supporting each other in forums, especially the United Nations and ASEAN.

They also witnessed the signing of 11 cooperation agreements in education and training, peacekeeping, consumer protection, trade and investment promotion, science and technology, innovation, finance, banking, and scientific research to develop agro-forestry-fishery, labor, natural resources, environment, energy, and mining.

PM Chinh and his spouse Le Thi Bich Tran are paying an official visit to Australia from Thursday to Sunday at the invitation of PM Albanese and his fiancée.

This is the first visit to Australia by a Vietnamese government leader since 2018, the year that Vietnam and Australia upgraded their bilateral ties to a strategic partnership.

The trip takes place in the context of Vietnam and Australia’s 50th anniversary celebration of establishing diplomatic relations.

Earlier, PM Chinh attended the 2024 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in the Oceanian country on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Vietnam and Australia established diplomatic ties in 1973 and the two nations entered a comprehensive partnership in 2009.

Six years later, the relationship was lifted to an enhanced comprehensive partnership before being upgraded to a strategic partnership in March 2018.

Currently, Australia is Vietnam’s seventh-largest trading partner and Vietnam is Australia’s 10th-largest commercial partner.

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